Star profile
Mu Draco
Binary systemWhat is Mu Draco
Mu Draconis is a relatively nearby binary system, some 90 light-years away, in which two F-type stars orbit one another within the long body of Draco. The Arabic tradition gave it the name Alrakis, linked to rhythm or dance — a hint of the orbital choreography that telescopic observation would eventually reveal.
Where it is and when to see it
Mu Draco lies in the northern celestial hemisphere. It is visible to the naked eye under a dark sky. Its best month of the year is May, when it culminates around midnight.
- From London it never sets and culminates about 87° up.
- From New York it never sets and culminates about 76° up.
- From Sydney it culminates about 2° above the horizon.
It can be seen from anywhere north of 36° S.
It ranks no. 33 in brightness among the 122 stars of Draco in our catalogue. To find it, start from Eltanin, the brightest: it lies about 8° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).
The light you see today left it about 90 years ago.
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A public signature from a real person. The chosen name is a symbolic denomination within Stelvia, with no official standing or IAU recognition: the sky is not for sale and belongs to no one.
Astronomical data for Mu Draco
- Constellation
- Draco
- Apparent magnitude
- 4.91
- Distance
- 89.5 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 256.334° · Dec 54.470°
- Catalogue
- HIP 83608 · HD 154905
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Other stars in Draco
Draco has 122 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.
- EltaninGamma Draco2.24
- AthebyneEta Draco2.73
- RastabanBeta Draco2.79
- Nu 2 Draco4.86
- 19 Draco4.88
- Nu 1 Draco4.89
- HIP 926894.92
- 15 Draco4.94